Members of the Chamber of Commerce, local politicians, friends and family all joined Kenny Zheng and Yufeng Xu Friday morning to celebrate the soft opening and ribbon cutting of Vicksburg’s newest Japanese dining experience — Atami Japanese Grill.

Atami, at 3401 Halls Ferry Road behind Walgreens, is not the couple’s first restaurant venture. Zheng said he’s been working in restaurants in Mississippi for 16 years.

“I trained for two years in Japan, in the city of Atami, which is where I got the name for this restaurant,” he said.

Zheng said he’s always loved working with food, and he couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

“This is my favorite, my dream job,” he said. “I just want to see all of the customer’s happy faces.”

When customers enter Atami they will find sleek black walls, a sushi bar and booths in addition to a sectioned off room that is available for parties.

“I developed ideas as construction was going on,” Zheng said.

The ceiling above the bar features a wave of blue ambiance lighting, which Zheng said was inspired by the Mississippi River.

“We serve Japanese food: sushi, hibachi, teriyaki,” he said.

Zheng said Japanese food is often a healthier option because they don’t use a lot of cooking oils, added MSG or cornstarch.

The menu has more than 100 options including lunch specials and a kids’ menu.

Atami features items from a range of prices including several sushi rolls for under $5 and up to $50 for a large party boat, which includes 10 pieces of sashimi and 12 pieces of sushi.

Zheng said the move to Vicksburg was an obvious one for him and his wife.

“I’ve been in Mississippi for 17 years, and I knew it was beautiful and the people were really kind,” he said. “I’m so excited. A lot of people have said it’s good already.”

The community has welcomed Atami with open arms already, Zheng said.

“The Chamber of Commerce has helped me a lot,” he said. “The people in my neighborhood have been very friendly too.”

Zheng said his neighbors at Kooky Burgers have been especially friendly and helpful in getting everything ready for their opening.

Atami is open Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 to 10:30 p.m. For more information or to place a to-go order, call 601-883-9918.